Sealing underground tanks



Oct. 26 1926.

C. F. BERTSCHINGER SEALING UNDERGROUND TANKS Filed Oct 1, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOR/V r Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,874 c. F. BERTSCHINGER SEALING UNDERGROUND TANKS Filed Oct. 1. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

l/E/VTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,604,874 PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES F. BERTSCHINGER, OF JAMAICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO TIDE WATER OIL COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEALING UNDERGROUND TANKS.

Application filed October 1, 1925. Serial No. 59,776.

The invention has to do more particularly with the underground ,storage tanks from which asoline, and sometimes lubricating oil, is dispensed to the public through measuring pumps at garages and filling stations. The various oil companies have their equipment at these stations, bearing their tradenames to inform n'iotorists of the kind and origin of gasoline that they purchase; and the public relies upon these signs, having been taught to purchase motor fuel with discrimination. It is a regrettable faat, however, that unscrupulous retailers frequently refill the tanks with cheap, lowgracle gasoline, which is then sold to auto mobile and truck drivers through the pumps as gasoline of standard brands, at thecurrent prices for those brands. This fraudulent practice has been of large proportions. Both the public and the reputable'oil companies suffer heavy loss, the loss to the oil companies being a double one, because not only do they lose a large volume of sales to which they are entitled, but also their good will suffers by reason of the poor performance of the interior gasoline dispensed under their names and trade-marks. As far as I am aware no way has heretofore been found to check the fraud.

The purpose of this invention with respect to these tanks is to prevent unauthorized filling of the tanks, while still permitting the filling-station man to make use of the usual measuring rod in the pipe leading downward to the tank, as he must be able to do in order to ascertain from time to time how much liquid there is in one of these underground reservoirs. The object is also to permit the tanks to be readily refilled by authorized representatives of the oil companies.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

F ig. 1 is an elevation showing fragments from the curb or in a cellar, and consequently two pipes must be used, one being a direct vertical pipe for gauging, and the other being a filling pipe located at some distance from the tank and connected with it by a lateral branch, a considerable part of which is shown broken out;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on a larger scale, through the upper part of the pipe shown in Fig. 1 or at the right of Fig. 2, showing the measuring rod principally in elevation, with a large part of the rod broken'out so that its lower end may be included in the View;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through a modified construction on the plane of 5-5 indicated in Fig. 3.

The tank 2 of Fig. 1 has a combined filling and gauging pipe 3 rising therefrom to a point slightly below the ground or curb level, where it carries a fitting 4 having a screw-plug closure 5, which prevents water from entering the tank. The tops of these pipes and their closures are located accessibly in boxes set into the ground and having hinged lids; but the boXes are not illustrated as they are familiar. The measuring rod within the pipe, extending downward into the tank, is marked 6. These rods are usually of square orangular section.

The fitting l-is made secure on the pipe, and is preferably'screwed thereon, having an internal screw-thread in its lower portion to engage a corresponding thread on the upper end of the pipe. One or more set-screws 7 are screwed radially inward through tapped holes in the fitting to bite into the screw-threads of the pipe, or to enter recesses in the pipe, and these screws are locked or sealed, as by lead and Wire seals 8 which will prevent the screws being loosened sufficiently to permit the fitting to be taken off the pipe, without breaking the lock.

- In Fig. 3 the wire of the seal 8 is passed through a hole in the head of the screw and through an side of the fitting. In Fig. 5, the heads of two screws 7 are connected by the seal. 1

do not, however, limit myself to these preapertured ear 9 cast on the outbushing 10, which may be simply and advantageously made of a circular piece of metal having a peripheral screw-thread to engage the same internal thread 11 of the fitting that is engaged by the closure plug 5. A square opening 12 in this bushing is slidably fitted by the rod 6, the fit being close enough so that the bushing and rod together constitute an adequate barrier against filling, while the rod can be raised freely to observe the height of liquid showing thereon.

The rod is locked against removal from the bushing at such time by a pin .3 passed transversely through a hole in the lower end of the rod and secured in place by a seal 14, the wire of which is passed through a hole drilled through the rod and pin. The projecting ends of this pin strike the under side of the bushing when the rod is raised as far as it will go. The upper end of the rod ispreferably also provided with a similar pin 15 and seal 16, so that the rod can not be separated from the bushing when the bushing is removed, or the bushing put back without the rod. The upper pin also prevents any possibility of the rod dropping through the bushing. This mode of preventing removal or loss of the rod is especially advantageous, but I do not necessarily limit myself thereto, as the rod might be provided with projections orenlargements of a substantially permanent character.

The protection is completed by locking the bushing to the fittin or top of the pipe with a readily renewab e mechanical visual seal. While the form of the lock may be varied, the simplest and most advantageous form employs a set-screw 17, which is screwed inward through a tapped hole in the upper part of the fitting 4, to enter a peripheral recess 18- in the bushing. This recess is open to the upper side of the bushing so that it can be seen when the end of the screw is in the notch; and it is advantageous that the screw be of such length that its head 19 will be down against the side of the fitting when the screw is properly entered in the notch, as this furnishes the oil companys filling man with a further means of knowing when he has fully locked the bushing. The wire of a seal 20 is then passed through a hole in the headof the screw and through an ear 21 on the fitting and drawn tight before the lead seal is aplied. The seal is adapted to be quickly Eroken and renewed at each filling, the oil companys man being provided with an implement for the purpose.

in Fig. 2, the pipe 3 is used only for gauging. The filling pipe 3*, which is not over the tank, is connected therewith by a lateral branch 22, which enters a "l" 23 at the base of the pipe 3. The pipe 3 has a {fitting a secured on it by means similar to employed for the fitting a; and the closure plug 5 of this fitting is sealed by a lead seal 24, the wire of which is passed through the plug and one or more ears on the fitting.

\Vhat I claim as new is:

1. In an underground tank, a pipe extending upward from said tank to the ground level, a measuring rod within said pipe and tank, and means on the upper end of said pipe, comprising a removable part provided with an aperture obstructed by said rod and through which the rod may be lifted, means for preventing removal of the rod from said part. and readily renewable visual sealing means for preventing unauthorized filling through said pipe, said last-mentioned means being so constructed as to allow of authorized filling through said pipe.

2. In an underground tank, a pipe extending upward from said tank to the ground level, ameasuring rod within said pipe and tank, means on the upper end of said pipe comprising a closure and a part beneath the closure provided with an aperture obstructed by said rod and through which the rod may be lifted when said closure is opened, means for preventing removal of the rod from said part, andreadily renewable visual sealing means locking said part against removal to prevent unauthorized filling through said pipe, said last-mentioned means being so constructed as to allow of authorized filling through said pipe.

3. In an underground tank, a pipe extendingupward from said tank to the ground level, a measuring rod within said pipe and tank, means on the upper end of said pipe comprising a closure and a part beneath the closure provided with an aperture obstructed by said rod and through which the rod may be lifted when said closure is opened, means comprising a seal applied to said rod and preventing removal thereof from said part, and readily renewable visual sealing means locking said part against removal to prevent unauthorized filling through said pipe, said last-mentioned means being so constructed as to allow of authorized filling through said pipe.

4. In an underground storage tank, a pipe extending upward from the tank, a measuring rod within the pipe, a fitting secured on the upper end of said pipe and provided with a closure, a removable bushing in said fitting havin an aperture which is slidably fitted by sai rod, means preventing the end of the rod from passing through the bushing, and visual seal means for locking the bushing against tampering.

5. In an underground storage tank, a pipe extending upward from the tank, ameasuring rod within the pipe, a fitting screwed on the upper end of said pipe, a movable bushing in said fitting having an a erture which is slidably fitted by said no visual seal xii) ' slidably fitted by said rod, means means locking the fitting against unauthorlzed removal from the pipe, means preventing removal of the rod from the'bushing,

and visual seal means for locking the bushing against tampering.

6. In a tank having an opening formed with an internal screw-thread, a measuring rod within said opening, a removable bushing screwed into said internal screw-thread and having an aperture which is slidably fitted by said rod, a closure screwing into the upper part of said screw-thread, means preventing the end of the rod from passing through the bushing, and visual seal means locking the bushing against unauthorized removal.

7. In an underground tank having an opening, a pipe extending upward from said opening and having its upper end formed with an internal screw-thread, a measuring rod within said pipe, a removable bushing screwed into said screw-thread and having an aperture which is slidably fitted by said rod, a screw passing through the wall of the pipe and engaging said bushing, and a seal-lock for said screw.-

8. In an underground storage tank, a pipe extending upward from the tank, a measuring rod within the pipe, a fitting screwed on the upper end of said pipe, a removable bushing screwed in said fitting and having an aperture which is slidably fitted by said rod, means preventing removal of the rod from the bushing, a seallock for the bushing, and a seal-lock for the fitting.

9. In an underground storage tank, a pipe extending upward from the tank, a measuring rod within the pipe, a fitting screwed on the upper end of said pipe, a screw passing through said fitting into engagement with the pipe, a seal-lock for said screw, a removal bushing screwed into said fitting and having an aperture which is reventing removal of the rod from the ushing, and means locking the bushing against unauthorized removal from the fitting.

10. In a tank having means providing an opening through its upper part, a fitting applied to said opening, a closure for said fitting, a bushing in said fitting a measursaid rod being accessible beneath said closure, a seal for the bushing, and a seal for the fitting.

11. In an underground storage tank, a pipe extending upward from the tank, a measuring rod Wlthlll said pipe, a fitting secured on the upper'end of said pipe, an apertured part carried by said fitting, said rod occupying the aperture of said part and being raisable through the same, means preventing the end of the rod passing through said aperture, a closure over the upper end of the measuring rod giving access thereto and preventing entrance of water into the tank, said apertured part being movable so as to permit authorized filling of the tank through said pipe, and means for locking said part against tampering.

12. In an underground storage tank, a pipe extending upward from the tank, a measuring rod within said pipe, a fitting secured on the'upper end of said ipe, an apertured part carried by said fitting and removable therefrom, said rod, occupying the aperture of said part and being raisable through the same, means preventing the end of the rod passing through said part, a closure over the upper end of the measuring rod giving access thereto and preventing entrance of water into the tank, and means for locking said apertured part by means of a visual sealing device so as to provide for authorized filling through said pipe and to prevent unauthorized filling.

13. A structure applicable to an entrance of a tank, said structure comprising a fitting adapted to be secured to the tank en trance, a removable apertured part, and a closure, said apertured part being adapted to receive a measuring rod which occupies the opening in said apertured part and is freely raisable through the same but prevented from being lifted out of said open ing, the upper end of said rod being accessible beneath said closure, and means for locking said apertured part by means of a visual sealing device against unauthorized removal from said fitting.

GER. 

